Cindy and Chris Gallio have for the last ten years been heavily involved in sport karate. Chris has progressed from the little cute kid running forms to a seasoned adult world class point fighter. Cindy has been there the whole time supporting him and pushing him into world championship titles. Cindy Gallio formed GOP a few years back. GOP is one of the premiere professional karate teams of the NBL. Cindy and Chris can be seen at almost every major national tournament possible.
Years of involvement in the sport karate scene and a passion for competition has led the Gallio’s to their own national tournament. The last several years Cindy and Chris have Produced The Battle On The Beach in Corpus Christi, Texas. This years 2006 June 17th tournament was located at the Omni Hotel. Competitors from across Texas and as far away as California showed up for this years competition and a chance to win some of those great prizes and grand championship money.
Cramming a two day national tournament into one day took some work and planning but Cindy Gallio was able to utilize members of her large competition team to help run and officiate. Darrel Stewart and other top officials added to the impressive list of martial artist in attendance. Throughout the day divisions ran without delay and some of the competition can be viewed on line at Texas-sport-karate.com. This is a new website dedicated to competition in Texas, Mexico, Louisiana and any were the writers go. Stories, videos and pictures from as far away as Portland and Salt lake city can also be viewed at this site.
Top competitors from several national teams showed up to elevate the level of competition. Louis Jimenez from Mexico and his new Bride Dawn Kabela fielded an impressive team of black belts and top under belts. Team Focus, Team K2, Team Alchemy, Team Langley and Team GOP, also added to this mix of great competitors. Throughout the day intensity of many divisions ran high. No one wanted to lose and all were performing at peak levels in an attempt to overcome their competition.
Clarissa and Marco Villanueva were in peak form winning in multiple junior divisions and entertaining the crowed as they won in open forms, soft forms and weapons. Other junior multiple division forms champions were Joseph Pruiett, Jacob Holguin, Renato Deleon and Zachary Blundell. Brttan Kabela’s staff form beat out a large crowed of top team members in an impressive victory. Johnnie Murphy was the top adult forms champion with eight divisional wins. Rex Dewees emerged as the junior breaking champion and Alonzo Ruiz took home the adult breaking divisional title.
Some of the junior black belt fights were nothing less than all out battles. James Davidson and Ryan George had the walls shaking, yes I mean shaking as the they collided into the partitions of the rooms in an attempt at landing points against each other. After several time outs and medical checks, the fight finally ended in a victory for James Davidson. Charlie Davidson, Brother of James Davidson was no less intense, with his last match ending in an overwhelming win. Juniors Jonathan Rios boys 10-12, Shavaun Langley girls 15-17 and Andre Parrott boys 12-13 of Team Langley were all champions for Team Langley.
Junior continuous sparring champions provided the ultimate excitement with many of the fights needing a call to the medic. The action was non stop and left no doubt as to the skill of these kids as they put it all on the line. Champions included Beau Burns, Jonathan Rios, James Slade, Joshua Romero, Zachary Blundell, Andrew Duhon, Noah Jones, Charlie Davidson and Krystle Seley of Team Alchemy in El Paso won the girls light weight continuous sparring division.
Susan Langley and Regina Thompson put on an exciting exhibition of skill and competitive prowess as they went at it in the women’s point sparring grand championship. After an exciting match Regina pulled ahead and took home the money. Susan later came back to win in the women’s senior point sparring division. Norman Roberts of Team Focus emerged as the senior sparring grand champion and went on to the men’s point sparring finals as he also was first in men’s heavy weight division.
Roberto Torres, now an adult, came out of retirement and made it to the sparring finals winning men‘s feather weight point sparring. Sean Roberts and Chris Gallio put on a real show in a contest full of tactics and unusual combinations with Chris running the duck and pop, California blitz and a couple of new moves in his attempt to overcome Sean Roberts long leg reach and speed. Finally time ran down with Chris Gallio firmly in control and winning the men’s middle weight division.
Louis Jaminez of Mexico managed to pull a rabbit out of his hat, winning over an impressive men’s light middle weight crowed. Other divisional champions of the day were Derrick Wilson – senior men’s middle weight, Bryan Young – men’s light heavy weight, Don’a Pettway – men’s super heavy weight and Johnnie Murphy – Senior men’s 45 plus division, Jason Holmes – men’s continuous sparring and Jaime Kerley women’s continuous sparring division. Team GOP won the men’s team sparring division.
The forms grand’s ended up being a showdown between Louis Jaminez with his strong Japanese form Kanku Sho and Johnnie Murphy’s dynamic bo form Chikara Dai. Johnnie Murphy was crowned the traditional forms champion after a close score from the judges. Johnnie Murphy also won the contemporary forms grand championship. The mens sparring grand championship came down to a mix of the top champions of the day who have already been mentioned. In the final fight with the amazing Roberto Torres and Bryan Young, Roberto managed to pull ahead and as time ran down Roberto Torres took home the big money and his first adult grand championship.
